Tips for saving on home heating

Replacing your air filter can save on heating costs.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Although temperatures may be in the mid 80’s right now, each passing day is a reminder that summer is coming to an end and winter will soon be upon us.

That means it’s not too soon to start thinking about how best to hold down the cost of staying warm this winter.

Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures have conditioned Wisconsinites to weatherproof their homes. However, tips from professionals act as good reminders of what we can do to ensure we get the most from our heating system without breaking the bank.

Change air filter

Changing your heating system’s air filter is one simple way to keep your appliance running at the highest possible efficiency.

“If you do not exchange your filters, then they get clogged up and they have to work that much harder to heat your home,” Wisconsin Public Service spokesman Kerry Spees said. “It’s a very small thing, a small change, but it really helps during those winter months.”

According to the Wisconsin Public Service website, air filters cost between $6 and $35 depending on the model. Regularly changing filters can save up to 15 percent on your monthly heating bill.

On the other hand, Consumer Reports estimates it can cost up to $300 to have a professional fix damage caused by a clogged filter.

Clean filters also improve the quality of the air you breathe, said Doug Meek, energy auditor for Highland Building Consultants in Green Bay.

“Especially with furnaces that run a fan all the time, replacing the filter improves the indoor air quality,” Meek said.

Preseason tune-ups

Although a system tune-up is an additional expense, Spees said they are necessary to prevent more severe, expensive problems in the future when you may need heat the most.

“It’s a little bit of an investment,” Speed said. “People should call some contractors because costs can range, depending. But as far as price goes, if you do wait and they end up finding anything it becomes a matter of pay me now or pay me later.”

If you do not wish to have an annual tune-up, Meek said newer systems can get by with a check-up every other year while systems ten years and older should have a yearly checkup.

Seal and insulate ducts

Insulation is one of the oldest and most recognized methods to maintain uniform indoor temperatures year-round.

Newer homes tend to be well insulated, but if you own an older home chances are you could benefit by buying additional insulation to keep the house warm and avoid heat loss.

APEX Heating & Cooling Sales Representative Dan Delforge recommends looking into a program called Focus on Energy for assistance with the cost of upgrading insulation.

Focus on Energy is a statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program that works with Wisconsin utilities.

The organization’s website offers information on a variety of home improvement and energy savings topics and manages the a rebate program that pays up to $1000 for qualified energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment and attic insulation.

Programmable thermostats

There are mixed reviews on whether programmable thermostats are effective.

A programmable thermostat is designed to switch temperatures at specified times during the day. The devices cost between $20 and $40, plus additional fees for installation and programming.

Spees swears by this customizable technology and considers it to be the best investment for people concerned about saving money on utilities.

“I have mine set to 68 degrees and when my wife and I go to work it’ll go down to 60,” Spees said. “Then it’ll go back up to 68 degrees at night when we get home.”

Spees said every degree you keep your thermostat down saves about 3 percent on your bill.

However, others are not quite sold.

Meek said he prefers keeping his home at one constant temperature.

“It’s a personal opinion,” Meek said. “They are alright if they only swing in four to 10 degree frames.”

Going over that 10 degree difference means the furnace will use a great deal of energy to bring the temperature in the house back up, which can mean higher heating costs in the long run.

Install energy-efficient windows

Delforge said old, loose windows are often to blame for a chilly home and increased heating costs.

“Windows like that are going to allow the cold to penetrate faster,” Delforge said. “Slowing that down with new windows will help reduce your heating bill.”

Consumer Reports notes window replacement is a long-term investment that is repaid over time.Window replacement can typically reduce a heating bill between 7 and15 percent.

Even if your windows are up to date, monitoring the use of shades and blinds also plays a big role Spees said.

“Although it may be nice to watch a snowfall from your window that happens to be one of the biggest culprits in heat loss,” Spees said. “Draw the shades on a could cloudy day and open them up when it’s a sunny day.”

—sleduc@greenbay.gannett.com ‘Like’ Shelby Le Duc on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @pgshelbyleduc and Instagram @shelbyleduc22

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Tips for saving on home heating

Costa Farms Share Tips for Growing Orchids for Mother's Day

Miami, FL (PRWEB) May 08, 2015

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and spending for the holiday is on the rise.

A recent survey by the National Retail Federation found that families will spend a record $173 on mom this year. And aside from greeting cards, flowers are the most popular gift. Choose a moth (phalaenopsis) orchid that will flower for months and even years to come.

Orchids are highly coveted ornamental plants. Delicate orchids symbolize a mother’s love, beauty and strength. They look and feel luxurious but are actually very affordable.

“Orchids are the perfect gift for Mother’s Day because they’re so chic and easy to grow,” says Justin Hancock, garden expert at Costa Farms. “These exquisite plants reward with fabulous blooms for months and months.”

Here are Hancock’s tips to grow beautiful moth (phalaenopsis) orchids that will bloom for years and years:

Six Steps to Orchid Success

1. Selection: Pick an orchid with as many buds as you can to prolong the display. “Many homeowners buy the orchid that has the most open flowers, but that’s usually the first one to go out of bloom,” says Hancock.

2. Water: Water once a week or when bark or moss is almost completely dry. Allow orchids to dry out before re-watering and never leave orchids in standing water.

3. Location: Place orchids in a well-lit area, but not in direct sun. Moth orchids grow under trees and get sunburned in direct sunlight. Help orchids to thrive by placing them near east- or west-facing windows. If the plant receives too little light, it will not bloom. The larger the leaves of an orchid variety, the less light it needs.

4. Humidity: Orchids need humidity. Pair orchids with other plants that release moisture as they breathe or sit a humidifier next to the orchid.

5. Temperature: Keep them warm. Moth orchids love temperatures between 70 and 80F and about 10 degrees cooler at night.

6. Feed: Moth orchids bloom once a year, usually in winter when nights are cool. Fertilizing regularly in the spring and summer months will help it to grow, too.

Remind mom that just like her, orchids are more than just a pretty face. They provide oxygen and are great natural air filters that clean indoor air of carbon dioxide and other toxins. Learn more about growing orchids at CostaFarms.com.

About Costa Farms: Costa Farm s is one of the nation’s largest growers of ornamental plants. Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, Costa Farms is a third-generation, family-owned business that globally stretches over 3,500 acres and employs 4,000 people. Along with thriving indoor and bedding plant divisions, Costa Farms operates merchandising and young-plant production divisions as part of its infrastructure, with operations domestically in South Florida and North and South Carolina, and abroad in the Dominican Republic and Far East.

Costa Farms Share Tips for Growing Orchids for Mother"s Day

Checklist: 7 winter maintenance tips for your home

Keep an eye on your roof’s snow load. D.J. Schloss, left, and Doug Metz, right shovel off a roof in Alden, N.Y. on Nov. 20. The weight of the snow has caused problems around the area with roofs collapsing and buildings compromised.

Gary Wiepert / AP

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Tempted to shut everything up tight and hunker down when it’s cold outside? That might not be the best move.

Windows, for instance, should be kept uncovered as much as possible to expose the glass to warm inside air, minimizing condensation, says Tamarack Homes in its winter home maintenance guide.

Here are some other winter tips to follow. Some we’ve heard before, but a reminder never hurts.

Open and shut: Leave bedroom doors open when you can for better air circulation.

Bone dry: Hardwood flooring can be damaged if your home gets too dry. Monitor the relative humidity with a hygrometer (a tool specifically designed to measure humidity) and set your humidifier for 30 per cent or higher.

Checkup time: If you haven’t yet done it, get your annual furnace check/cleaning to make sure it’s running as efficiently as possible. Also make sure you’re replacing or cleaning air filters in the furnace, HRV and hood fan either monthly or as needed. Tip: Running your furnace fan throughout the year helps provide ventilation for the house.

Air care: Make sure your indoor air vents (HRV and furnace supplies and returns) are clean and not blocked by dust, furniture or drapes. Air supply vents in the basement should be open.

On or off? Your HRV draws outside air into the house. But on very cold days, you don’t want this dry air, so switch it off.

Outside: Make sure roof louvres, vents and soffits are not blocked. Your attic needs to breathe.

Checklist: 7 winter maintenance tips for your home

6 Cleaning Tips to Make Your Home Healthier in the New Year

Ready for a brand new you and a healthier home in 2015? Jotham Hatch [pictured below], director of Training at Chem-Dry, is here to share six tips that will transform your surroundings right before your very eyes!

1. Regularly wipe down countertops. Countertops are not only where food is prepared, but it’s also where dirt, dust, bacteria and allergen particles floating in the air often settle. If you have a countertop with granite or tile, it’s best to use a mild cleaner and preferably one that can refresh the sealer. Sealers can degrade over time and it’s important to keep that sealer fresh to prevent bacteria from getting into the porous areas of the stone.

2. Keep carpets and rugs clean. To improve the life and appearance of your carpet, vacuum your carpets and rugs weekly with a bag vacuum, preferably one that has either a HEPA filter or a microfiltration system. However, it is important to note that while vacuuming does pick up dirt and dust on the surface, there can be a lot of bacteria and allergens trapped deep down within the fibers of the carpet – including pet dander and urine, particle pollution and everyday dirt and dust. While these toxins may not be visible to homeowners, they can still be the source of unpleasant health issues and allergy symptoms. Vacuuming and routine cleaning are helpful in maintaining cleaner carpets, but they are simply not enough. For this reason, the EPA recommends getting carpets professionally cleaned at least once a year, and in homes with pets and/or children, it recommends bringing in a cleaning service two to three times per year. For homeowners with pets, it’s advisable to find a professional cleaning service that has an effective urine detection and removal process. To eliminate the maximum amount germs from your carpets and rugs, request adding a sanitizer to the cleaning process to kill off and eliminate bacteria as well as a protectant, which puts a protective coating on the carpet fibers and makes it easier to keep carpets cleaner for a longer period of time on your own.

3. Don’t forget about your upholstered furniture. Most people think about vacuuming and cleaning their carpets and rugs but they forget about cleaning their upholstery, despite spending significant time every day on their couches and chairs. Similar to countertops and carpets, particles like dust, dirt and allergens settle on upholstered furniture as well. Vacuuming upholstered furniture is nearly as easy and is just as important as carpets, particularly in the high-traffic areas like family rooms. It’s recommended to vacuum the upholstery in your home once every other week and have it professionally cleaned once a year.

4. Sanitize high touch points around the house. Popular “hot spots” include door knobs, toilet handles, faucets and light switches. Spending a few minutes sanitizing those areas, particularly before and after guests come into the home, can go a long way toward minimizing the spread of germs. More preventive approaches to minimizing the spread of germs include being vigilant about washing your hands regularly throughout the day and placing a bottle of hand sanitizer in the high-traffic areas of the home, making it easy and convenient to keep your hands clean and germ-free.

5. Use door mats or area rugs in entry ways and high-traffic areas. While it’s easy to forget them, door mats and area rugs do a great job of trapping dirt and allergens before they enter the heart of your home. Part of the reason they aren’t as common in homes today is due to the misconception that hard surfaces are healthier than carpets or rugs, which is not the case. The fact is that carpets and rugs act as filters that capture and trap dirt, dust and allergens and prevent them from getting into the air and spreading throughout the home. On hard surfaces, these particles simply settle and then are stirred back into the air the next time there is traffic and activity in the area. Using door mats and area rugs is an effective and inexpensive way to prevent unwanted and unhealthy particles from getting deeper into your home or from remaining in the air where they can spread more easily to members of the family.

6. Check and replace your heating and air conditioning filters. While furnaces are vital to keeping homes warm in the colder months, it’s important to change the furnace air filter at regular intervals to prevent dirt, dust and other unhealthy particles from being distributed around the house. Follow the recommended replacement timing for each filter that is indicated on the filter package. To remind yourself when it’s time to change the filter, write the date that you’re performing the replacement on the outer edge of the new filter that you’re installing to make it easy to know when your next one is due. Another way to stay on schedule with future filter replacements is to send yourself an invitation in your online calendar for the date of the next replacement or for replacements for the remainder of the year, based on the manufacturer’s recommended cycle.

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6 Cleaning Tips to Make Your Home Healthier in the New Year

Green Energy Tips That Will Help The Environment

Although many people have heard of green energy, it’s not clear what it is to most. If you want to know more about green technology or energy, you’re in the right spot. Keep reading to learn more about green energy technology and putting it into place in your home.

Try wearing natural fabrics in the summer as opposed to using the air conditioner. Cotton and linen wick away moisture from your skin so that you stay cooler. Wear light colors; dark colors tend to make you feel warm and you will be likelier to turn on the air conditioner.

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During summer, try drying clothes on a clothesline instead of the dryer. The sun can dry clothes quickly without using any power, with the added benefit of making your clothes smell extra-fresh. It is a fresher smell than you would get from the dryer. Also, your utility bills will be greatly decreased.

The power-storing batteries of your solar system should be installed close to the cells. This helps prevent power loss in the cables. It can also lessen the probability of cable shading, which reduces power-generation capabilities.

It is beneficial to maintain your refrigerator to keep it working efficiently. Since the refrigerator is an appliance that consumes a lot of energy, it is important to keep it in top-working order. Be sure to regularly clean out the dust around the heating coils. Also, make sure that the seal around the door is clean and tight.

Storm Windows

Air flow is controlled best in homes with storm windows and doors. This is because they decrease the amount of cold air circulating through your home. Energy efficiency can be increased up to 45% in a home with storm windows and doors.

Swap out your tank water heater for a tankless type. Although they still use gas or electricity, they only heat on demand rather than maintaining an entire tank of hot water at all times. There are models available that provide on-demand hot water for a whole house or just one faucet.

Fans of green energy should limit their use of electric heaters in the winter. Dress more warmly when around the house. Wear slippers and a heavy top, and light up your fireplace or pellet stove for increased warmth at low cost. It helps breathing, and prevents dry airways if you make the air cooler during sleeping.

Think of using a laptop computer instead of a desktop model to save on your electricity usage. These portable machines will reduce your electrical use by 75% while you do everyday tasks. Laptops are also portable which makes them much more functional and handy in times of need.

An on-demand hot water heater is a good way to stay green. Older water heaters are always running and always heating water whether it is needed or not, which is a waste of energy. On-demand heaters only heat water when necessary, which greatly reduces energy costs.

Solar Panels

The addition of solar panels on your home will make your home greener. Adding solar panels won’t require a big investment in the beginning, and the savings will be quite significant down the road. After the panels are installed, solar power is free and excess can often be sold to supplant the grid.

To increase your home’s energy efficiency, try weatherizing your home. By sealing ducts, adding insulation, and putting in more energy efficient windows, heaters, and cooling systems, you are reducing the amount of energy needed to run your home. In addition, you will reduce your energy bill quite a bit.

Inspect the seals on your refrigerator and freezer regularly to make sure that they are tight. A seal that’s broken will result in your fridge running more than it needs to. This is a waste of money and energy. An easy way to check to see if your seal is intact is to insert a piece of paper in the door of your refrigerator. If the paper can easily slide out, your seal needs to be replaced.

You can save energy while doing laundry, too. You can use a moisture control setting to turn off the dryer when laundry has dried. The high-spin feature can work to reduce the amount of moisture in the laundry, thus limiting drying time. Always clean your dryer filters, and check your dryer vent for any blockages.

Since you now have a better idea of how to use different green technology in your household to your advantage, you can slowly make efforts to change your home. Make the most of the tips that have been offered here. Not only will the environment thank you, your wallet will too.

Green Energy Tips That Will Help The Environment